1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to T cell vaccines and methods of preparing these vaccines. The T cell vaccines may be used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
2. Description of Related Art
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disorder of unknown origin with variable courses of disease and is an autoimmune disease associated with abnormal immunity. The majority of patients with RA have a progressive course which leads to destruction of joint tissue, instability of joints, loss of function and mobility, and increased mortality. Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have joints that are severely infiltrated with leukocytes such as lymphocytes, and in which pannus forms due to hyperproliferation of synovial cells. Although various mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis have been proposed to explain the cause of the disease, including heredity, microbial infection, or involvement of various cytokines and chemokines, the precise onset mechanism is not known.
At present, RA can be somewhat controlled but not cured. The goal of treatment is relief of symptoms and keeping the disease from getting worse. The goals of most treatments for rheumatoid arthritis are to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, slow or stop the progression of joint damage, and improve a person's ability to function. Current approaches to treatment include lifestyle changes, medication, surgery, and routine monitoring and care. Standard RA therapy includes the use of immunomodulators, biologic agents, and corticosteroids, all of which have limited efficacy and carry significant risk of toxicity.
T cell vaccination is a promising therapy for T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The T cell vaccination strategy is based on administering a patient attenuated autoreactive T-cells, which may stimulate the patient's immune system to target the pathological autoreactive T-cells. A T cell vaccine is produced by activating and expanding mononuclear cells derived from the patient with autoreactive antigens. In MS, immunodominant myelin antigen epitopes from myelin proteins, such as MBP, PLP and MOG, may be used to produce the vaccine. T-cell vaccination is currently not available as a therapy for RA, because autoreactive antigens necessary to produce the vaccine have yet to be identified. Thus, there remains a need for treatments for arthritis.